What next? 110% in SSC?

Educationists, parents and students are getting increasingly worried about this emerging trend of 100 per cent in SSC.

| Jun 15, 2017, 01.00 AM IST

That's exactly how people have been reacting to the news of 193 students scoring 100 per cent marks in SSC. The year has seen percentages skyrocket, be it for Class XII, ICSE, CBSE or now, SSC. While this is not to take away from the hard work put in by the toppers, the fact is that educationists, parents and students themselves are getting increasingly worried about this emerging trend.

Where are we headed?
Kartika Narayan, parent of a 10-year-old, says, "This is a scary scenario. I am very worried; I wonder what will happen when my son appears for his board exams after a few years. Will it reach 110 per cent by then?" What has helped students score cent per cent is the fact that they've benefited from the extra marks given under the art/drawing and sports quota.
However, the move has come in for criticism. Nandini Sardesai, sociologist and former HOD of St Xavier's College, says, "Giving students additional marks for their achievements in sports or arts is subjective. What is the benchmark here? This is a sham." She adds, "I have corrected SSC papers many years ago and I still can't understand how anyone can get full marks in languages."
This is a sentiment echoed by many. Naresh Pandya, parent of a 13-year-old, says, "When you give somebody full marks, you are telling the person that he has achieved it all, there is nothing more left to strive for. How can somebody be given full marks in languages? I understand Mathematics and Sciences, but with languages, there is always room for improvement."

Students unable to replicate success in competitive exams
There was a time when an 80+ score in SSC was considered high, but today, every other student seems to be in this bracket. Many are even in the 90+ group. The big worry is whether these students will be able to replicate their success in future competitive exams. Nandini Sardesai points out, "In my experience, I have seen a lot of students who did very well in their SSC boards, but could not repeat the performance later in their college years. Very few school toppers have excelled in college."
This is a concern that members of the Parent Teacher Association United Forum have as well. Says its President, Arundhati Chavan, "Just yesterday, we were discussing this issue during our meeting. In recent years, we have seen many students who have scored more than 80 per cent struggling to clear competitive exams."

Education system is taking a hit
At a time when we should have been going away from rote learning and focussing on holistic education, we are sucked into it even more. Educationist Amrita Nadkarni laments the dependence of students on rote learning. "There is a textbook for every subject, but students are expected to go beyond that —they should go through a number of reference books and make their own notes. That's what true learning is. Sadly, today, it's just readymade notes that students depend on."
Jayant Jain, President of Forum For Fairness In Education, adds, "Rote learning has taken centre stage and hence, coaching classes and private tuitions are mushrooming. Students who can't afford to go to these classes are the ones who suffer most. This commercialisation of education must stop."
He also blames the growing competition between various boards for this. "Forget stiff competition between students, it's the boards — ICSE, CBSE and SSC — that are competing with each other in order to prove that their system is the best."
And it's not just educationists who are vocal about the issue, senior students too feel strongly about it. As Raveena Bangre, a post-graduate student, says, "Our system is becoming a farce and we need to rectify it without delay. To begin with, the cold war between the boards has to end. And the next step is to focus on holistic education; only then will this obsession with marks end. It seems very difficult at this point, but we have to make a start in that direction."

Celeb speak

"This is just weird. 193 students get 100% in SSC. We are producing far too many Einsteins for our own good. Someone needs to set this right." - Pritish Nandy's tweet

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